Rotary mower with grass catcher



May 26 1 G. J. SHAW 3,134,214

ROTARY MOWER WITH GRASS CATCI-IER Driginal Filed April 25. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet i /7 INVENTOR.

65261.0 J j/HW A TTOENEY May 26, 1964 G. J. SHAW ROTARY MOWER WITH GRASS CATCHER Original Filed April 25. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 0 m wm 4w 9 l a 9 7 l w h 1 w v/ v 5 T. 5 W 7 32/ 9 8 II 0 7 5 4 7 l 8 7 .1 w L 0, u 0 0 Hn O x 4 0 L :7 a n4 i? fix 5l1|||| m 5 3 a m w 2 w 9 9 0 m 0 x/ T P r ,1: I... 2

lln

24 MA 9K mmvnm 652/940 J JHHW ATTORNE Y,

May 26, 1964 G. J. SHAW ROTARY MOWER WITH GRASS CATCHER Original Filed April 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 6'62/940 J. 5/09 Arrmsvfi y 26, 1964 G. J. SHAW 3,134,214

ROTARY MOWER WITH GRASS CATCHER Original Filed April 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 65204.0 J. $07M A T'TORNEY United States Patent ROTARY MOWER WITH GRASS CATCHER Gerald J. Shaw, Lamar, Mo., assignor to Outboard Marine Corporation, Waukegan, 111., a corporation of Delaware Original application Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,575, now Patent No. 3,065,588, dated Nov. 27, 1962. Divided and this application Apr. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 187,056

4 Claims. (Cl. 56-202) This invention relates to a rotary mower with grass catcher. The present application is a division of my application of like title, Serial Number 24,575 filed April 25, 1960, now United States Patent No. 3,065,588, issued November 27, 1962.

The rotary mower embodying the invention has enhanced safety because the casing in which the rotary knife operates lacks the usual tangential outlet. There is no access to the outlet from the blade housing of the present mower other than the upwardly opening orifice behind the engine which is covered by an auxiliary casing communicating with the grass catcher, there being a rotary feeder operating in the auxiliary casing to facilitate delivery of the clippings upwardly and rearwardly into the grass catching bag.

The grass catching bag is suspended in part from the mower handle and in part from the auxiliary casing, there being a pivotal connection to the latter which permits the catching bag to be tilted upwardly and rearwardly for the purpose of discharging accumulated clippings. A novel system of interlocking stays supports the bag in normally open position but permits it to be collapsed for storage, while also accommodating its pivotal movement as above described.

The rotary feeder is driven from one of the wheels and has a shaft which, together with its supporting bearings, is bodily pivoted from the wall of the auxiliary casing and the rotor is held under spring pressure in operative driven engagement with the mower wheel from which it 'derives its power.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a mower equipped with 'a grass catcher in accordance with this invention, the handle'being fragmentarily illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a view taken in section on line 2-2 of FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a view 'frag'me'ntarily showing portions of the mower in plan, the'auxiliary-casing and the fragmentarily illustrated catcher being shown in section on the 'line'3-3 of FIG. 4.

FIG; 4'is a view fragme'ntarily illustrating portionsof the mower and the catcherin longitudinal section onthe line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the mower on an'enlarged scale andauxiliary casing in rear and threequarter perspective.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the mower on an enlarged 'scale'showing the area to which the auxiliary casingis applied.

'FIG. 7 -is a fragmentary'detail view of the mower in side elevation showing the'catcher pivoted to the position in which it discharges accumulated clippings.

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale illustrating in mutually separated positions the auxiliary casing and the rotary feeder drive shaft with'its support ingstructure. I

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View taken in section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 3.

,FIG. 10 is an enlarged detail view'of the grass catcher in three-quarter front perspective, portions being broken away. i V

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary detail view showing in perspective the mutually separated positions of the separate stays provided for the support of the grasscatching bag.

FIG. 12 is a further enlarged detail view partially in front elevation and partially in section showing in assembled relationship parts which are shown in separated position in FIG. 11.

In accordance with generally conventional practice, the mower comprises a blade housing 15 having the general form of an inverted pan with a platform 16. An unbroken side flange 17 encloses the blade 18.

The platform is supported in any desired way by means of the wheels 19 and 20, the latter, at least, having transversely toothed treads as shown at 21 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5.

The blade 18 desirably has a sharpened forward margin 23 and an upturned flange 24 on its trailing margin as best illustrated in FIG. 2. It is mounted in a known manner on a 'drive shaft 25 of an engine 26 carried by the platform 16. The engine power head 30 includes, in

- conventional manner, a cylinder 31, fuel tank 32 and starter 33, none of these items being directly concerned with the present invention.

Between the rear wheels 20 the platform 16 of the blade housing 15 is extended rearwardlyat 34 and provided with a grass discharge opening at 35 having-an upwardly curved bottom wall 36 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. That portion 37 of the opening 35 which is in the platform 16 has substantial arcuate extent overlying the path of the blades 18 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

Bolted to the blade housing 15 and completely enclosing the opening portions 55 and 37 is an auxiliary casing 40 which has a rearward opening 41. Secured to housing .portion 30 and casing 40 is a plate 39 providing a bottom wall 42 curving upwardly toward opening 41 as an extension of curvilinear wall 36 above described. Plate 39 has laterally extending wings 43 and 44 and also provides the projecting horizontal flange 45 on which the lower margin of the grass catching bag seats when in use.

Within the auxiliary casing 44! there is a rotary feeder 541 which comprises a disk 51 having a helical rib 52 on one of its faces and having radial vanes 533k on the'face 'toward which clippings tend to be propelled by the blades -57 and 58 for the feeder shaft 54. The entire bracket is pivoted to the auxiliary casing 40 upon apertured lugs 59 which project from the auxiliary casing 40 through the slots '60 which are provided in the end of bracket 56 (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

Tubular'cushions 61 of elastomeric material are slipped over the respective lugs 59 and are compressed to the form shown in FIG. 9 when the bracket '56 is engaged with the lugs and held in pressure contact with the cushions 61 by the cotter pins 63 inserted through the apertures of the lugs.

A spring 64 connected with the pivotally floated bracket 56 and further connected with handle bracket 84 and thereby withthe platform 16 of blade housing 15 exerts downward tension on the rotor shaft 54 to maintain the rotor 55 in operative driven engagement with the ribbed wheel'2t) 'as'shown'in FIG. 2 for actuating the feeder '50. As grass is cut, the clippings tend tobe raised by the blades and delivered upwardly and rearwardly overth'e and rearward movement by thefrotary feeder ;50 just described.

The catcher as herein shown is made and operated as follows:

The catching container generically designated by reference character 65 has a bottom as desirably made of metal rolled into a bead 67 at its forward margin to receive the transverse portion 653 of a Ushaped wire stay 69 having upright arms 7%) and 71.

The bottom 66 of the catcher is enclosed about both sides and the rear by walls desirably comprising a strip of netting '73 of sufiiciently small mesh to retain the clippings while permitting the escape of any air that may be entrained with the clippings. The net is bound about its bottom margin with a strip of cloth 74 attached to the bottom 66. While any means of attachment may be used, FIG. 4 shows a preferred arrangement whereby the cloth strip 74 has its lower margin clamped in a reversely folded flange '75 of the metal bottom 66.

The front marginal portions of the strip of net '73 which forms the side and rear walls of the receptacle 65 are also bound in cloth strips '77 folded upon themselves as clearly shown in PEG. to provide .hems which embrace the arms 7%? and '71 of the Ushaped stay 68.

The top margin of the strip of net '73 is also reinforced by a cloth strip '79 folded upon itself to provide a hem for a U-shaped stay 8i? which is continuous about the back and forwardly along the sides of receptacle 65. Stitched or otherwise fastened interiorly to the reinforcing band of cloth at '78 is a cloth top closure $1 which is cut to provide openings at 82 and 33 for the mower handle 35 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 10. Snap fastener eiements 86 on the central tongue 87 of this cloth top closure iii are engageable with complementary snap fastener elements 88 on the forward reinforcing bands 77 whereby the openings 82 and 83 can be opened for the insertion or removal of the grass catching container 65 respecting handle 85 and can be closed about the handle as shown in FIG. 1.

Clips 89 at the rear of the receptacle bottom 66 pivotally engage the central portion of a third U-shaped stay 90 which extends diagonally toward the top front portion of the receptacle. The free end portions id of the horizontal top stay 80 are bent at right angles to project outwardly away from each other as best shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. The upper end portions of the diagonal stay 9% have eyes at 92 through which the free end portions 91 project. Similar eyes 3 on the upwardly extending arms 70 and 71 of the forward stay 6% are also engaged on the outwardly projecting free ends 91 of the top horizontal stay 80. The arrangement is such that the three stays are pivotally movable with respect to each other, the stays 69 and 9t) pivoting on the free end portions 91 of stay 80. The assembly is releasably maintained by means of a so-called wedge nut 95 which, as best shown in FIG. 12, is interiorly provided with tongues 96 that engage the respective free end portions 91 to maintain the pivotal association of the three stays as above described.

The loops 9'7 formed'in the U-shaped top stay member 80 adjacent its respective free end portions 911 are connected by a top front transverse stay member 98 which has hooked end portions 99 engaged in the respective loops as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This top transversev stay member is positioned and supported pivotally on a notched bracket 1% mounted ontop of the auxiliary casing (FIGSLS, 1, 2 and 4).

A pair of pivotally connected suspension links 193, 102 supports the grass catching container 65 at the rear, the link ltllbeing connected to the handle 85 and the link 102 being pivoted to link 101 and to the catching container 65 by engagement about the upper stay member 80 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Deflector 1&3 held by bracket 1% guides clippings into container 65.

A manually operable rope 165] provided with a handle 106 is fastened by link 107 to the bottom 66 of the receptaclelat the rear thereof and can be pulled as shown in FIG. 7 to pivot the receptacle bodily upwardly and rearwardly for the discharge of its contents whenever desired. The receptacle is free to move to the position shown in FIG. 7, portions thereof between the diagonal stay and the top stay 80 collapsing when the bottom is tilted upwardly and rearwardly. There is no physical connection between the bottom of the receptacle and the rear of the mower. When the rope is released, the parts revert by gravity to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the forward lower margin of the receptacle as defined by the horizontal transverse portion 68 of the forward stay 69 being received onto the flange 45 as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The catching container as described is readily collapsed for shipment. As erected, the several stays have relatively pivotal movement to accommodate all necessary manipulation between the receiving position of FIGS. 1 and 4 and the dumping position of FIG. 7.

It will be observed that the blade housing is continuous about the path of the blade, having no lateral discharge ports through which sticks or stones can be hurled by the blade, or through which the blade is exposed for injury of a child or other person reaching into the housing through such a port. All clippings or other material acted upon by the blade must change direction twice in passing from the blade housing to the catching receptacle 6'5. The blades tend to propel any such material tangentially but their trailing margin flanges 24 tend to lift severed clippings. In any event, the direction of motion imparted to such material by the blades is such that the material is thrown against the vaned face of the rotary feeder 55 This feeder operates in a direction to discharge the material rearwardly into the receiver 65. Even a blade-propelled stone would have most of its energy absorbed before it ever leaves the auxiliary casing 46 and the receiver 65 is well adapted to yield upon impact of any such object and to absorb the rest of its energy.

The helical flange 52 on the rear face of the feeder 5t) prevents any accumulations of grass clippings from lodging behind the feeder.

I claim:

1. The combination with a rotary mower having a blade housing provided with an outlet port, of an upstanding casing mounted on the housing and enclosing the port, a rotary feeder within the casing, the casing having a rear discharging outlet, located generally centrally behind said housing means for driving the. feeder,

and a receptacle having a forward end opening, and

means operatively supporting said receptacle to receive material rearwardly discharged by the feeder from said casing, the receptacle supporting means including a pivotal connection between the receptacle and the top of said casing, the receptacle having its lower portion freely movable rearwardly from the casing and biased toward operative position adjoining the casing to locate said forward end opening in communication with said discharging outlet.

2. The combination with a mower assembly including a casing having a rearward opening and means below said opening providing a seating flange, of a grass-catching receptacle having a pivotal connection with the casing abovethe opening and provided with a substantially completely open forward end normally contiguous to said casing in registry with the opening, said receptacle having a bottom marginal portion normally engaged with said seating flange, means for supporting said receptacle rearwardly of said casing, and means for pivoting the receptacle respecting the casing for disengagement of the lower margin of the receptacle from the seating flange and for discharge of the contents of the receptacle through its forward end, said receptacle comprising a bottom, diagonal stay means extending from the rear of the bottom upwardly and forwardly to said pivotal connection with the casing, U-shaped stay means pivotally connected with the bottom and extending upwardly therefrom at opposite sides of the folward end of the receptacle and in pivotal connection with said first mentioned stay means, and a third U-shaped stay means in pivotal connection with the first mentioned stay means and extending horizontally about the top of the receptacle, said receptacle having flexible side and rear walls engaged with the bottom and with the last mentioned stay means and a top wall engaged with the last mentioned stay means.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a grass catcher comprising a metal bottom, a front U-shaped stay having an intermediate portion connected with the bottom and having upwardly extending arms at opposite sides of the bottom, a diagonal U-shaped stay having an intermediate portion connected with the bottom adjacent the rear thereof and having arm portions extending diagonally forwardly and upwardly above the sides of the bottom, a third U-shaped stay having an intermediate portion above the rear of the bottom and having side arm portions extending forwardly above the sides of the bottom, the several arm portions of the several stays having means providing relatively movable pivotal connections between the stays at the top front corners of the receptacle, the receptacle further including flexible wall portions respectively connected With the first and third mentioned stays and extending about the sides and rear of the bottom.

4. The article of claim 3 in which said Wall portions comprise a fabric mesh having cloth marginal bindings, certain of said bindings constituting hems through which arm portions of the first and third stays extend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,991 Poehls July 22, 1958 2,882,688 Murillo Apr. 21, 1959 2,959,904 Ferris Nov. 15, 1960 2,970,421 Krewson Feb. 7, 1961 3,037,339 Nicholson June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,228,918 France Mar. 21, 1960 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A ROTARY MOWER HAVING A BLADE HOUSING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET PORT, OF AN UPSTANDING CASING MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING AND ENCLOSING THE PORT, A ROTARY FEEDER WITHIN THE CASING, THE CASING HAVING A REAR DISCHARGING OUTLET, LOCATED GENERALLY CENTRALLY BEHIND SAID HOUSING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE FEEDER, AND A RECEPTACLE HAVING A FORWARD END OPENING, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY SUPPORTING SAID RECEPTACLE TO RECEIVE MATERIAL REARWARDLY DISCHARGED BY THE FEEDER FROM SAID CASING, THE RECEPTACLE SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE RECEPTACLE AND THE TOP OF SAID CASING, THE RECEPTACLE HAVING ITS LOWER PORTION FREELY MOVABLE REARWARDLY FROM THE CASING AND BIASED TOWARD OPERATIVE POSITION ADJOINING THE CASING TO LOCATE SAID FORWARD END OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID DISCHARGING OUTLET. 